Shafie

Shafie refers primarily to one of the four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). It is named after its founder, Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (767-820 CE), a highly influential Islamic scholar.

The Shafi'i school is characterized by its methodology in deriving rulings from the primary sources of Islamic law, which are, in order of importance: the Quran, the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad's teachings and practices), Ijma' (consensus of scholars), and Qiyas (analogical reasoning). Imam al-Shafi'i emphasized the importance of Sunnah as a primary source alongside the Quran, and he developed a systematic approach to legal interpretation, including principles for resolving conflicts between different sources.

Key features of the Shafi'i school include:

• Emphasis on clear textual evidence (Nass) from the Quran and Sunnah.
• Strict conditions for accepting Hadith (narrations about the Prophet's life).
• Reliance on analogy (Qiyas) only when there is no clear textual evidence.
• A preference for scholarly consensus (Ijma') of the early generations of Muslims.

The Shafi'i school is prevalent in various regions, including: Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Philippines), East Africa (Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania), Lower Egypt, parts of Yemen, and some regions of the Levant (Palestine, Lebanon).

Beyond the juridical school, the term "Shafie" may also refer to an adherent or follower of the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence.